Ninja Assassin....FTW!

Yes.

Alright, let's break this ish DOWN!

The plot was used- BUT- when ninjas are involved, you can't go wrong. Seriously. You ever seen Surf Ninjas [yes, the link takes you to part 1 of 9 of the movie- YOU OWE ME]? Easily one of the worst movies made, but it's still one of my favorites.
In any case, the main ninja dude (played by S. Korean pop sensation Rain) is kidnapped as a child and trained to be a merciless killer by an ancient "merciless-killer-ninja-assassin-clan", but after his first real mission, he realizes that everything up to that point was everything he wasn't. So what is a merciless killer with a heart do? That's easy-

KILL EVERYONE

...or, at least everyone in the clan, putting an end to the craziness that is being a Ninja Assassin.

Here are the things I appreciate in the movie:

1. Gratuitous amounts of RIDICULOUSLY intense and awesome action scenes
2. Copious amounts of shadow-people-ninja-men
   
3. Appropriate computer simulated weaponry (not abused like in some ninja flicks)
4. Rain's surprisingly good-grip on being a badass, but not the cocky, douchey type of badass.
5. The director's take on flashbacks and memories
6. The "what-the-heck?!" moment when ish gets real (you know what I'm talking about, Cameron)
7. How the action did.not.STOP...once it got started
8. The main character's name--is RAIN.
   

Things I did not like:

1. There was a sh*t ton of mondo-fake looking blood, but I can forgive it because of how awesome it was drawn aka "why it happened".
2. Rain didn't really use the SUHWEEET ninja stars as much as I desperately wanted him to.
   

The movie starts strong, continues even stronger, and ends as you want it to.
It is all that is man when it comes to ninja gore, wicked action scenes, and South Korean pop stars turned NINJA ASSASSIN!

Overall: the movie kicked-ass and if you don't see it, go crawl under a rock and stay there, because you don't deserve to see the glory that is cinema.

Ninja Assassin- 4.5 High-Fives.
[Starring Rain, Rick Yune, Sho Kosugi]


Coming up next blog: Ninja Assassin vs. The Expendables!!

Happy THOR'Sday!!

picture from getasword blog

In honor of Thor and his day (what's left of it) here's a little "betcha-didn't-know" about the Norse deity:

• Thor is the Norwegian god of Thunder, the sky, fertility, and law;
• He is renowned for his quick temper and stubborn personality;
• Also very simple god (not the brightest);
• His hammer, Mjolnir, may give whoever holds it the mighty power of Thor, but even the big guy himself needs a "belt of strength" to harness the awesome virtue of the famous slayer of giants;
• In order to be granted the power of Mjolnir, Thor had to prove himself a worthy warrior and noble god. After he received the honor and the weapon, he was declared the Greatest Warrior of Asgard- which royally pissed of his adopted brother- Loki;
• The Lay of Thrym is a classic amidst Scandinavian folklore that illustrates Thor's simplicity, humility, rapid anger, and swift-action personality [click link and scroll down the page];
• Thor's punishment for being arrogant and disobedient (in the comics and in the upcoming film starring Chris Hemsworth) is exile from Asgard (the home of Norse deities);
• Last but not least: when thunder boomed across the skies, people believed it was Thor being pulled around Asgard by his goats, Tanngrisni ("gap-tooth") and Tanngnost ("tooth grinder").

Betcha didn't know that! BooOm!

Say-What Sunday: Why you NEED to see Dave Matthews Band Live

Photo from davematthewsblog.com

Whether or not you are a fan of the group, you have to admit: they are damn talented. Less be said, the music created by the boys of the Dave Matthews Band is incredible live. The simple reason being that DMB is notorious for their wicked jam sessions. Most of the group have earned renown for their jazz instincts, a musical lifestyle that entirely comes from the heart not the sheet music- and that's the best part of DMB. The musicians here are musicians, through and through, and it shows. Oh man does it show.

Their live performances are incredible because you don't get radio edits- you get an intense musicial experience that stimulates the rock senses (Carter's increasing usage of the double-bass drum), the jazz senses ( Lessard and the two tour dudes Jeff Coffin and Rashawn Ross), the classical senses (Boyd Tinsley's incredible string talents), and the overall senses that are comprised to an epic 3 hour event of non-stop awesome.

Notable Moments from the show:

• Incredible Jam sessions mixed with the popular playlis
  
• Fantastic spread of all material Dave's material, both from solo projects and the band
• Nice fan-list of favorite songs (typically the ones jammed the hardest)
• Carter Beauford and his INCREDIBLE solos
• The touring members: Jeff Coffin and Rashawn Ross, sax and trumpet, res.
  
• TIM REYNOLDS
• Carter is always smiling (just watch the Coffin solo...)
• The fantastic energy of the band and the music
  
• Free high (seriously: second hand EVERYTHING)
  

Everyone honestly needs to see at least one Dave Matthews Band concert in their life. Even if you don't qualify yourself as a fan of Dave but are a fan of music, and I mean REAL music, then this show is for you. DMB doesn't rely on fireworks, fancy graphics, or catchy skits to hold up their tour- their music speaks for itself. Seriously, check it out- you won't be disappointed.

Here is their website. Click on it. Also, click on the names of people mentioned in the Notable Moments section for solos (from other concerts, events, etc). Party on, Wayne.

Dave Matthews Band <-- (here it is)